Guardian Chronicles 10: Lost In The Mist
by StSE
Summary: post-Armada. Starscream centered. A chance at life, A chance at friendship. And all he has to do is return Optimus's daughter to the realm of the living...
1. Chapter 1

_**Note: **A short story I wrote a while back, just now getting around to publishing it. Set in post-Armada and comes after my story **Simple Misperceptions. **But you don't have to go read that story to understand, follow and enjoy this one..._

**Lost in the Mist**

**Chapter 1**

**Explosion**

A second oil tanker caught fire as the flames exploded through the central port. Desperately, 5 other full tankers threw their massive turbines into full reverse, not able to wait for the tugs to help get them out of the dock. Their crews frantically trying to get the huge ships clear, pushing through other ships as they went, praying that they could get out!

Several gigantic container ships couldn't be saved, even with the up river tugs having sped down river to assist the big dock tugs – there were just too many large ships, too narrow a channel, and not enough time to hook up and push/pull many of them to open water! Their exhausted crews kept working endlessly, the roar of the flames mixed with the sound of the fire crews.

Every fire unit within a five county area had come, the port authority's water boats were pushing their diesel water pumps to the limits, the Navy fleet stationed just off shore had all of their choppers in the air, the Coast Guard had sent every available vessel and chopper, even the forestry service had sent all their aerial fire fighting units to the scene, and still the flames spread. The wicked inferno was slowly making its way throughout the port, working its way around the bay, the nearby petroleum refineries now at risk.

Four full squadrons of combat fighters appeared in the sky, their alien insignias showing their identities. Along with them, more unmanned alien rescue choppers filled the air – the stranded humans knowing they now had a chance for rescue! Ever watchful, and in full communications with the EMS crews, the Transformers threw in their assistance, jumping and darting amongst human rescue crews. Able to go into the very heart of the flames to bring humans out, transforming to pull out trapped victims, retransforming to airlift them out. Soon their airframes were black with soot.

The combat jets with thrust vectoring capabilities, lent their assistance as well, doing hazardous vertical descents, having rope ladders extending from their modified side weapon bays. Many humans crawled in those bays, escaping death as the Seekers teleported with them to safety.

The crew on that second oil tanker frantically waved to them, the flames getting even higher, creating mini-tornados of flames. The human rescue crews could not hope to get to them, it was far too dangerous! _'I'm goin' for it!' _Jaguar radioed her twin, the green Seeker fighting through the inferno-generated updrafts to reach the tanker.

'_No Jaguar! It's too dangerous! Disengage!' _Matron Raptor radioed, just as the human EMS command center was saying the same thing.

Jaguar just couldn't let those men die! She ignored the direct order and banked around the burning ship, trying to get in close enough, fighting through the turbulence. The thick smoke cleared enough for her to see a spot on deck, using all of her skill, she got there, opening her side bays and dropping the rope ladders as the crewmembers ran towards her.

A loud roaring sound filled her audios, the sensation of the very air being sucked from around her, and then a searing heat roared over her. In panic, she went into teleport just as the oil tanker exploded into an enormous ball of flames.

"Jaguar! No!"Tigress cried, seeing her twin disappear in the inferno.

**Turmoil**

The mech force had not been able to stop to grieve. They worked tirelessly for two days, trying desperately to help the human fire crews to keep the incredible inferno contained. The port was lost, as were two oil tankers and five container ships – thankfully, they managed to keep the flames from reaching the refineries.

This was small comfort to the mechs, for Jaguar was missing.

As they lay exhausted on the opposite side of the bay, the mechs silently watched as the port continued to smolder, their thoughts on the deep green femme that had been lost.

Jetfire sat with his arm around Tigress, both of them unrecognizable for the black soot covering their plating. The femme was cradled in the shuttle's arms, finally knocked out in her defragmentation processes. She had continued to fight the blaze, rescue whom she could, but after EMS called them off the fire, she had been inconsolable over the loss of her twin.

The shuttle heard the sound of heavy metallic footsteps coming towards them; he turned his helm towards the approaching pair, only recognizing the soot-covered mechs by their cleaned-off optics. _"_She's finally out. Been real hard on 'er." he told Raptor.

The Matron sat down, resting her hand lovingly on her grieving daughter's blackened wing. Her optics filled with the same deep sorrow. Optimus sat down heavily next to them, his amber optics staring sadly at the smoking ruins across the bay.

"Do not repeat what I'm about to tell you two.." Raptor began her voice so low that the two Autobots had to strain to hear her words. "I don't think Jaguar is dead, I think she's lost."

Jetfire jerked himself out of his sorrow. _"_Lost?"

She nodded. "I can still sense her; I just can't lock on to her enough to teleport to her." She sighed, lowering her head. "I think she teleported without coordinates, nor an image in her mind. I think she's lost on the other side."

"Can you find her? Bring her back?" Jetfire gasped.

Raptor shook her head sadly. "I'd most likely get lost as well, even if I found her, both of us may not be able to find our way back here."

"So she has to find her way on her own." Optimus reasoned. Sighing, he felt the crush of sorrow, for if Raptor herself was uncertain on finding her own way back, then how could his daughter have a chance?

Together, they looked at the remains of the port, knowing that they most likely would never see the deep green femme again.

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	2. unending mist

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Unending Mist**

Jaguar felt the cool plasma of warp phase cool down the red hot metal of her fuselage. _Boy that was a close call! _She thought to herself. Realizing her side bays were still open, and empty, the guilt of not saving those humans flowed through her. She had been so close!

Then a terror began building within her, she realized she hadn't set coordinates before teleporting! The drain was building in her system as she continued through the plasma phase. She didn't know what to do! Desperately, she thought about all the stories that Raptor had told them, but her mother had always had at least a mental picture! Jaguar had nothing!

Thinking quickly, Jaguar decided that she had to try something, anything – to get out of warp phase somehow. So she cut all power to her plasma engine. Praying against all hope that this would drop her out of this phase!

As her velocity plummeted, a strange mist engulfed her. She could tell she had dropped out of warp phase, but couldn't lock any coordinates, scanning with her air and ground radar arrays she sensed nothing. There was no ground, no sky, and nothing – just this endless mist. Calming the panic rising in her, she tried all of her sensory scans – infrared, low light, pressure, visual, - nothing. She was in total sensory blackout!

Transforming, she had the sensation of falling, and then a solid surface met her feet. Getting down on her hands and knees, she felt around her with her fingers, nothing, just smooth surface. Standing back up, she began walking blindly forward, figuring it was better than just sitting there doing nothing.

"Hello, hello, anybody here?"she called over and over. The sound of her own voice comforted her somewhat; but her calls were merely answered with an overwhelming silence.

It seemed like eons she walked blindly, the terror and loneliness beginning to crush her within. "Well, mom always said, you feel better when you sing,_" _Jaguar said to no one. She then began to sing, her clear soprano voice filling the empty nothingness, spilling hope into her soul.

"Would you just shut up,"a male voice said.

Her jaw dropped in shock, as she spun, probing the mists with her sensors – nothing! "Where are you?"she asked, her voice pleading.

"The same freagin' place you are you idiot! Would you just shut up and let me be,"the annoyed sounding voice said again, seemingly from all around her.

Spinning circles, she tried to figure out where it was coming from. "But where am I?" she asked the speaker.

A sigh of disgust filled her audios. "Sloggers, you're off-lined! Are you stupid or what?'

"But I'm not, I just got lost in teleport," she stammered, "I can't be – dead?"

"Do I have to explain everything to you? You are off-lined. We're all off-lined. Are you just going to leave me alone now?"the voice now had a very disgusted ring to it.

Jaguar decided to sit down, for even if this voice was ticked with her presence – it sure beat wandering through this place alone and blind. Fighting her building terror, she swallowed hard and decided she'd have to be tough. "I'm going to sit here and sing until you show yourself;" she stated, and started her singing again.

The voice cursed, and suddenly she was looking into crimson optics. The bright red Seeker they belonged to, glaring at her with his arms crossed, Decepticon symbols shining brightly on his wings. Strangely, he didn't seem solid. "Ok, are you happy now? Will you just shut up and leave me alone!" he demanded.

Her jaw dropped as she realized who it was! He was her half-sisters' sire! "S-Starscream?" she stammered.

He scanned her up and down, realizing he'd seen her somewhere before. Then he realized where he'd seen her. "You're one of Raptor's squadron, aren't you?"Throwing his head back, he snickered with the sheer irony of it all. "You're one of the ones that attacked the lunar base. I remember chasing you."

She nodded; dumbfounded that she was talking with a dead Decepticon.

Snickering he went to touch one of her wings, his translucent hand going right through her solid wing. "And you're not even off-lined yet!"he stated, cocking his head and looking at her in amusement.

Swallowing her fear, she stood up and tried to touch him; her solid hand going straight through his rather, insubstantial form. "And, you are dead_," _she stated, her voice trembling.

This elicited more snickering from the red Seeker. "You're pretty good at stating the obvious. That's better than Demolisher could ever do," he insulted.

Looking down at her solid hands then back at the ghost, Jaguar was stunned at the implications. Her mom had been here once, but only her soul had come, her body had been back in her home dimension – Jaguar's entire body was here! "How do I get home?" she mumbled to herself.

Starscream heard her. "Looks like you've got yourself a problem, Seeker," he stated with a dismissive shrug. It was her problem, not his.

"Name's Jaguar," she said as she met his translucent optics. If he was going to keep insulting her, he might as well use her name.

"Jaguar, huh? Raptor sure gave you femmes some strange names when she built you,"he snickered derisively.

Jaguar looked at him; he thought that Raptor had merely built them. _Maybe he didn't realize that they were actually hybrid sparks? Maybe he hadn't figured out that her half-sisters were his daughters? Maybe she could use this? _"Well, she named us after we were born," she replied calmly, studying his reaction. She remembered how shocked the Autobots had been when Raptor had originally informed them that she had been able to 'get pregnant' after bonding with Cybertronians. And the greater shock when Optimus had realized that he was one of the sires. But Optimus had also been thrilled, perhaps Starscream would also be equally as pleased?

He cocked his head, looking at her like she was crazy. "We aren't born you idiot – we're built!" A curious expression crossed his face. "Though Megatron was always trying to figure out how she managed to animate her squadron without Vector Sigma," he walked around her, and whispered in her audios, "Care to tell me?"

The green femme grinned inwardly. Yes, maybe she could keep him interested, and maybe she could convince him to help her. "Raptor's a human spark, Starscream – she wasn't animated with Vector Sigma," she explained.

He stopped, regarding her suspiciously. "I'm no fool; don't try to lay a fast one on me!"

She shrugged. "I'm in the middle of the dead realm, what would I gain by lying to you?" she replied.

He grunted, still not fully believing her.

"The Starscream in her home dimension was crafty, he built a machine which pulled the sparks out of humans, and tried to use them to animate new Decepticons, to create his own army, to destroy that Galvatron,"she began.

His optics widened slightly, for he knew that Sideways had said she'd been created to assassinate that dimension's Galvatron, but he hadn't known that his counterpart had been the one to do it! Laughter built within him, as he connected some of Raptor's offhanded comments into this story. "So that's why I was her first in each dimension,"he mumbled. Yes, if he'd been the one to 'build' the Seeker, she'd have to obey his commands in all ways – wouldn't she? She'd have been almost a slave to his counterpart in that dimension. He licked his lips. It would've been nice to have had that kind of power over her. Then he could've made her assassinate his Megatron as well. He would've truly been the most powerful Transformer in the Universe with her at his side, doing his dirty work for him!

But it hadn't gone that way at all. Raptor had steadfastly refused to join the Autobots.. Refused to even fight unless there was no other choice… She'd abandoned all of the Cybertronians.. Even himself.. Even though he had thought there was some kind of emotional bond between them. The possibility of being permanent mates.. She'd stomped his own hopes and desires into the dirt with her thruster when she'd abandoned him.. He felt a strange mixture of loss, sadness, and rage flow within him.

Not understanding what he meant by that statement, Jaguar continued; "Well, it turns out that her human spark can combine with Cybertronian sparks of our dimension. This causes new hybrid sparks to grow within her. Then she builds new chassis, and we are born."

He stared at her, the wheels turning in his mind. He knew at the time Raptor's new squadron had showed up, the femme had only bonded with two Cybertronians: Optimus and – him. His mouth dropped as he now realized the strange references to her 'daughters' and 'children' she had made to Megatron – while looking directly at Starscream - in that battle at Autobot Headquarters. She had been trying to tell him that some of them were his! He was too stupid to realize it! Too blinded by Thrust's empty promises to realize she had offered him a way out! He grumbled in frustration as the full realization of what he had lost, due to his own blindness!

Raptor had abandoned the Cybertronians in order to protect these new hybrid offspring. She had known the danger that Cybertron was in. She hadn't abandoned him because she didn't feel anything for him – she had done it to protect his offspring.. HIS sparklings!! The enormity of it all, caught the ghost by surprise. The fact that part of his spark still lived. Still functioned in the realm of the living through his sparklings! In a sense, he was now somehow 'immortal'. His descendants continuing his spark through the eons…

Looking at the deep green femme, he wondered if she was of his spark. She was Raptor's daughter. Born at the same time his sparklings would've been. Was he talking to a Seeker of his own spark?? "Are you, from my spark?" he asked her. His tone had changed, he was no longer ridiculing her. The softness of wonderment and hope filled it now.

She shook her head, "The smaller yellow and red Seekers are, as well as the silver Seeker."

He staggered back in shock! He remembered the strange looks those two femmes had given him as he watched the other Decepticons torture and rape them. Something within him had told him not to touch them. He tried to grab Jaguar's intakes, to shake her with his frustration, but his insubstantial hands went right through her. "Why didn't they tell me!? I wouldn't have let Megatron…I would've stopped it!" Anguish filled his voice, not only had he always let Megatron down – he had even let his own offspring down the one time he could've helped them.. Could've protected them..

Jaguar looked at him, sympathy in her optics, she could see what her mother had seen within his soul – he had the capability to feel both guilt and compassion. Megatron had forced most of it to be hidden, but her mother had seen it, had tried to bring it out within this first mate she had chosen. "They didn't tell, to protect the family from Megatron. If he had known.." she said softly, her amber optics filled with empathy for the ghost's angst.

"We would've taken all of you as captives and bred more,"Starscream stated simply, disgust for the truth of all this, filling his voice. "Why didn't Raptor just take me with her – when she left the Autobots. Why?" His frustration flowed over him; things would've turned out so differently had she.

"She said you had an oath. She said you would've drawn us into the pointless war;" Jaguar's voice was soft, "she wanted us to live separate from both – taking neither side."

"She knew," Starscream muttered as he began to pace back and forth. The certainty that his suspicion was right… That Raptor had to protect the sparklings from their own sires – in order to keep them from being drawn into the pointless war.. Guilt spread through him. For if he'd just somehow convinced Megatron to change his ways at an earlier time.. He'd still be functioning. He'd still have Raptor at his side. He'd have been there for his sparklings. "She knew about Unicron the whole time. She knew that we had to be at peace with each other to defeat him. And she didn't think it'd happen," he said glumly.It was all making sense to him now. Raptor had started a new mech species, and if the Cybertronians were killed off due to their inability to work together – they would still live on in their offspring – in peace.

He looked up into Jaguar's amber optics, realizing that she was Optimus's daughter, and he was the only leader to have ever shown Starscream any respect. He had even tried to keep Starscream from pulling the Saber out of his own core, he had actually - cared. "Is there peace?" he asked the femme softly.

She nodded, "Optimus now leads again, he takes care of Raptor's family."

"Does he know that some of you aren't his, your mine?" the ghost asked. He wondered if he would've been able to raise Optimus's sparklings as his own. If he'd still been functioning.. Been at Raptor's side.. He would've had to.

"Optimus knows which are his, and which are yours. He speaks highly of you to them. He treats them as his own," she told him, seeing in his stance that this meant a lot to him.

"So they are now bond mates? Optimus and Raptor?" Starscream asked. In a strange sense, he somehow figured that that would happen once the war ended. Well, if Prime managed to survive that is. For even though Raptor had always refused to be drawn into the war.. To choose sides.. She'd done it simply because she was sick of the fighting.. She wanted peace. And that's what the Autobot leader had wanted as well – wasn't it? So with Starscream off-lined, it made sense that eventually those two would get together.

True, he was a tad jealous that Prime now had Raptor at his side. But he was dead wasn't he? So why should the femme stay single and 'wait' for him? Could he blame her for taking another? After all, they'd never sworn oaths to each other. So he and Raptor had never officially been bond mates in the first place… Starscream sighed inside, it was so damned complicated!

Jaguar hoped the ghost wouldn't be angry that her mom had taken a living bond mate, but she nodded her answer to his question.

Starscream silently thanked the big red mech, wishing he'd originally given his oath to Prime – not Megatron. But he couldn't change what he'd done. Now he was faced with this femme, and her dilemma was now his – since he owed Prime at least that much.

He offered his hand to her, shocked when he actually could feel her take it; his airframe seemingly more solid now that he'd decided to face the pain and regret of returning to the world of the living, for he had to lead her back there, and fulfill the debt that he owed to Optimus.

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	3. Facing Death

Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**The Lake**

It seemed like forever that Starscream led her through that endless mist of nothingness. Steadfastly, Jaguar followed him, knowing he was her only hope to make it out of here. As they walked, she tried to get him to talk. At first, this was quite the chore, but eventually he began to open up to her.

Through him, she found out many things about her mother that she had never known, just as he found out more from her. Together, they pieced together the true picture of that strange femme, the Seeker who had now become the first Matron. How her twisted life's path had truly fit into the history of Cybertron, and where it may take their species into the future.

She also learned the true scope of the control Megatron/Galvatron had exerted over the minds of his troops. Starscream learning that his own sacrifice had truly served to help save Cybertron, in making his leader reconsider his own values. In death, Starscream had finally achieved what he spent his life trying to get – Megatron's/Galvatron's respect for him as a soldier.

"So what's it like to be dead?" she asked the red Seeker.

He looked over at her as they walked, thinking this was a rather strange question. "You think about what you didn't accomplish, what you'll never accomplish, and how worthless your life had truly been," he stated flatly.

She sighed, feeling sorry for this ghost who clearly hated himself so much. "But your life wasn't worthless, look at the bright femmes you left. They and their offspring make sacrifices in helping others," she explained softly. Her spark was wrenched by this ghost.. His self-blame.. His unwillingness to see the lasting contributions of his life. Without his sacrifice, Galvatron would've never seen the light. Unicron would never have been vanquished. Those three brilliant and fearless daughters of his would never have been given sparks.

He snorted, "If I'd been in their lives, they'd have been nothing more than pawns of Megatron and Unicron – just like me. No, they aren't my accomplishment – they're Raptor's."

Jaguar stopped in her tracks, forcing him to stop and turn to her. "You know what, all your moping around and feeling sorry for yourself won't change anything. The only thing that can change it – is action," she stated flatly. Her optics silently challenged him to be more than he was, to change.. To accept...

He shrugged dismissively, "I'm dead. There's no actions left for me."

"Tell that to your counterpart in Raptor's home dimension, he built her AFTER Galvatron had already killed his aft," Her soft voice got stronger, "That Starscream decided to come back on his own. To finish what he'd started." With that statement hanging in the still mist, she let go of his hand and boldly walked in the direction that he'd been leading her, disappearing in the mist.

Starscream contemplated this for a while, and then appeared by her side, walking silently next to her, an expression of decision on his face. As the mist cleared, he took her hand again, leading her to the shore of the expansive lake within the afterlife.

**Out of the Mist**

The imposing transformer of Death approached the pair, his flaming broadsword in his hand. He stopped in front of them, his legs spread wide, his red eyes gleaming. "You are not welcome to this realm – yet," he stated flatly to Jaguar.

Her optics went wide with fear and her feet felt like they were concreted in place, as she looked into the very visage – of Death. She tried to say something, anything! But her voice synthesizers were suddenly offline. Then a red shadow stepped in front of her, seeming to protect her from this terrible Specter.

"She, she's just lost;" Starscream stammered, "She won't be here long." Even as a ghost he felt the awesome power that was Death. The leader of this realm... More powerful than even Glavatron himself... Fighting back his trepidation in standing up to Death, the red Seeker reminded himself over-and-over that he owed Prime this debt. Prime was the only leader to ever show him any respect. He owed him...

Death stared at the ghost long and hard. The harshness of his optics making Starscream shift his thrusters anxiously. He found it amusing that this wayward ghost had come across this living spark. But the ghost rarely came to enjoy the peace of his realm, instead insisting on flying through the mists alone as he felt sorry for himself and what he thought was his pathetic life. He just couldn't accept the peace that Death offered. "You rarely walk these beaches yourself, Starscream. Do you insist on becoming nothing more than a haunting on the living?" he challenged the wayward ghost.

If the red Seeker could gulp in fear, he would've done it right then and there. For even Megatron himself was nothing compared to the power of Death. "Well, she needs help;" he stammered, knowing this excuse was such a weak excuse for his unwillingness to accept the peace that Death offered him.

Sliding his broadsword back in its sheath across his back, Death crossed his arms across his massive chassis and regarded the ghost with amusement. "So, do you help her for yourself – or her sake?" Since Death wasn't about to allow the wayward ghost to go past him, if Starscream couldn't be honest with him. He suspected there was a good chance that the ghost wanted to use her to go back to the realm of the living.. To forever haunt that realm..

Starscream was quiet, his thoughts racing. Was he actually doing this for the femme? Or was he doing it for himself? To somehow feel some sense of worth by delivering her safely to her sire? To possibly see his offspring, even if they couldn't see him? His emotions fluctuated, for this was the first time since he died, that he had anything to accomplish, anything to care about. Looking up timidly at the specter of Death he said just one word; "Both."

Amazingly, Death looked at him with approval, his stance relaxing. "You have a hard path before you, take care to place your thrusters well," the Specter advised, as he stood aside to let them pass.

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	4. Purpose

Purpose

**Total Exhaustion**

Starscream's step got prouder as he led Jaguar through the realm of the afterlife. For the first time in his existence, he had gotten true respect. First from the green femme, then from Death himself; so maybe he wasn't such a useless soul after all.

Deep in his thoughts, he barely noticed when Jaguar stumbled and fell to her knees. Turning around swiftly, his first thought was to criticize the femme for her clumsiness, but as she looked up at him with weariness in her optics – he realized that she must be totally exhausted. So he shut off his criticism before it left his lips, and merely nodded at her to sit.

He stood there for a while, watching her curiously. For she was obviously in need to recharge and defragment; yet she was refusing to close her optics. "Why do you not shut down?" he demanded to know.

She looked at him, rather sheepishly, "I'm scared, I can't sleep here." She shook her head, curling up and setting her chin on her knees in a despondent pose; Total exhaustion and terror so apparent in her trembling airframe.

Studying her, he wondered what he should do. If she didn't rest, then she wouldn't have the strength to teleport back to the realm of the living – but she was obviously too terrified in this realm, to rest. Maybe it's like Alexis said, friends don't leave friends alone when they need them? He mused, remembering his first real friend with tears behind his red optics. That first friend who wouldn't leave him as he battled Sideways' energon sucking pests.. She'd waited and watched while he had battled, even after he had ordered all of them away. He considered what he thought the human girl would do in a situation like this.

Suddenly, Jaguar felt a strange sensation surround her. Looking up, she realized that the semi-transparent ghost had plopped himself down next to her, and now had his arm draped over her. The sensation was both chilling, and strangely comforting, at the same time. She shivered as he ran his fingers along her intake, for even though he was not solid her sensory net was responding to his touch.

He met her amber optics with his crimson. "It's ok, I'll watch over you.. my .. Friend..." he said hesitantly, his optics almost pleading with her to trust him.

Jaguar realized he was trying, albeit quite awkwardly, to be comforting to her. She smiled in appreciation, deciding she had to relax, had to trust something in this realm. Lying down, she put her helm through his transparent leg, mumbling her thanks as she forced herself to shut down. As the lights dimmed in her optics, she couldn't see the look of wonder that the ghost gave her.

**Quiet Contemplation**

Starscream looked around the realm, as he tried to stroke her solid wing with his semi-transparent hand. A true sense of purpose flowed through him as he realized he had so easily gotten this femme's trust. He looked down at her still form, would it be this easy to get her friendship? He wondered. For to have a real friend was the greatest feeling he had ever had when he was alive, even if it was for such a short time. And he could think of no other feeling he ever wanted to experience as much, as to have a friend again.

As he sat with the unconscious green Seeker laying through him, he began to reminisce about those final orbit cycles of his life. That party that the human kids had thrown for him, which had served to cause much confusion within his meta-processor; the silly gift of that handmade buffing rag which he had ended up losing in the sky, as Thrust convinced him to return to the Decepticons. The pain of its loss flowed through his soul again, not really for what it was, but for what it had stood for. He had thrown away friendship and trust, just for the sake of the Decepticon way. A way that was empty and meaningless in everyway.

His thoughts shifted to that dull gray/green Seeker, who had also offered him friendship, but had then left him on her own accord. After what Sideways had told them, Starscream didn't blame her for leaving. He knew the Autobots would never have trusted her after knowing what she had been, especially since she had no interest in fighting anymore. An ironic smile crossed his face, for he hadn't understood why that Seeker didn't want to fight, she could've easily manipulated his Megatron by using her skills and intellect – but she hadn't been interested. Yes, she was a confusing one, that Seeker. But in retrospect, all of her actions made sense now that he had seen Unicron – she was interested in species preservation – not personal gain.

He wondered briefly if Raptor still thought of him, and if so, what did she really think of him.

Feeling the living warmth of the green Seeker's idling plasma engine, he noticed that he could feel other things as well. Looking down, his crimson optics widened in shock, for as her meta was in defragment, he was able to feel through her sensory net. The living sensations flowed over the ghost, drawing him in. He sensed the combat processor, always active, constantly scanning the sensory blackness that was the afterlife. Those warm circuits, flowing through her sensitive fuselage, pulsing with life. He could even feel the reactions of her sensory nets to his own ghostly touch.

Fascinated, he ran his unsubstantial fingers lightly over her wing. The sensation of pleasure flowed over him. Dipping his fingers through her side, he felt the emptiness within her port weapons bay. His fingers caressed the pulsing energy of that port energy core, it tugged at his free spark, enticing him with its life sustaining energy. Then he felt her starboard core, also tempting his spark with its warm embrace.

With a start, he realized just why these femme Seekers had three energy cores. Although these cores helped them fly the immense distances of space, and allowed them to do incredibly long teleports – the primary function of these extra cores was to give energy and life to new sparks. His optics narrowed in thought. Could these cores give his own spark a second chance? Would this femme be willing? The thoughts were tempting him, as much as her living cores were tempting his free spark.

He considered if he wanted to live again. What was there for him? Would they accept him? Thinking of Jaguar's comments and reaction to him, he felt that maybe she could tell him. Maybe she could guide him as much as he was now guiding her. Maybe she could truly be a friend.

**Optics wide open**

Jaguar's airframe flowed with strange sensations; her meta-processor recognized this even as she was activating her optics. Focusing on the red ghost sitting next to her, she realized his hands were within her, causing a chilling yet pleasurable sensation to her sensory nets. His optics had a far away look in them, as Jaguar felt him stroking her secondary power cores, causing a shudder of both repulsion and wonder to flow through her.

Sensing her consciousness, the ghost pulled his hands out of her, and looked at her with a startled expression. "Um, sorry about that," he stammered; obviously not wanting her to know that he'd been enthralled with the warmth of her living systems.

Not angry, just curious, Jaguar sat up and regarded the ghost. "What were you doing?" she asked him.

Lowering his optics, the red ghost was embarrassed. "Your living systems are just so tempting." Looking at her with an almost bashful expression he stammered; "I just wanted to touch them. Experience them for a second. That's all."

Although the idea kind of repulsed her, Jaguar thought she understood it. The fact that he was even showing the slightest interest now in life, was an improvement over his former self-hatred. Her sire had always taught her to encourage confidence in others, this is how he led so effectively; and he had always told her half-sisters that their sire had had a good spark, he had just been misguided. Looking at the ghost of that sire, Jaguar now understood, and she wondered how she could help this ghost – who was helping her to get home.

Leaning toward the ghost, her amber optics searched his face. Alexis and the other humans, who'd been around him as kids, had told her that he had seemed to want friends – but had always been unsure of how to have friends. Her experiences with the Decepticons in the post-war era had explained much of this to her, they simply didn't know how to trust and be open – yet another one of Megatron's lasting effects on their society.

"Go ahead," she told the ghost.

He looked at her, not quite sure of what she meant.

Uncrossing her arms, she leaned back, forcing herself to relax. "Enter me," she told him. Her amber optics locking with his translucent red ones, telling him it was ok.

He was still looking at her, hesitant. Not sure of why she'd willing let him enter her, to feel life through her. No Decepticon would ever willingly offer, but her amber optics shimmered, reminding him of her sire – and his willingness to accept Starscream all those eons ago. To help Starscream for no other reason than to help another Transformer; yes, this Seeker was truly her sire's daughter. Gliding forward, Starscream accepted her offer.

A sense of integrated bonding flew through Jaguar; she could feel the ghost's free spark flooding over hers. But it didn't feel like true bonding, for there was no sharing of energy, no free flowing of sweet power and sensory sensations. She felt his spark caress her power cores, her systems fluxing slightly in response. In a sense, it felt more like when she was carrying sparklings that were ready to be born, the warmth, the internal caress of their life force. But this spark was more dominating, for he was a mature spark, he flowed through her systems, blending in with her own spark. She could sense his excitement, his happiness to feel life through her.

'Thank you.' She heard his voice say from within her.

She nodded, willing to have him feel her total acceptance of him. For all his faults in life and shortcomings, meant nothing to her, for what he was in his soul was what both her sire and Matron had seen – it was good. 'What are friends for?' she thought to him.

His spark jumped in shock, causing an electric wave to flow through her internal circuits. 'You'd be friends – with me?' his incredulous ghostly voice filled her head.

A smile crossed her face, as she realized just where her half-sister, Falcon; had gotten her eagerness from. Inwardly, she flooded herself with the emotion of happiness. She wanted to let the ghost within her know that she truly wanted his friendship, that she could fully trust him.

'I won't let you down,' His voice said within her head, giving her his oath.

She felt him begin to withdraw from her, but she grabbed onto his free spark with her own. 'Wouldn't it be easier if you just flew me through the warp phase, than me trying to follow you?' she thought to him.

She felt his spark contemplate this idea, not really wanting to leave the warmth of her living systems anyways. 'Ok, that sounds like a good plan,' He agreed in her head.

Relinquishing full control of her motor sensory net to him, she felt her plasma engine being warmed up, as Starscream prepared them to teleport.

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	5. The Route Less Traveled

The Route less Traveled

**The Route less Traveled**

The cool plasma of warp phase flowed around her fuselage, as she flew between the pulsating skins of the dimensional bubbles. The sensation of flying blindly, without locked coordinates, terrified her; but she trusted the spark that now controlled her body.

It seemed like eons that she flew through that plasma, darting around a multitude of dimensional bubbles, as Starscream looked for the bubble that was her home dimension. She felt the heavy drain on her cores, the port core now depleted, and starboard core half-empty; still they flew. The ghost telling her to be patient, he'd get them there.

As her primary core began to be drained, she felt Starscream's spark fill with excitement, as they headed straight for the translucent skin of the bubble in front of them. This was her dimension, this was home..

The warm flow of its skin flowed over her wings as they penetrated the bubble. Suddenly, the thick atmosphere of a planet assailed her intakes, gravity pulling against them. Starscream dampened the flow into her intakes, and activated her afterburners, lifting her nose and getting the lift back under her wings. He knew her cores were very much depleted, so desperately he scanned with her long range sensors, looking for a place to land safely.

Descending rapidly, he caused her to transform and land VTOL. A feeling of satisfaction flowed through the ghost as he felt her feet touch lightly on a rocky beach. Her cores so depleted that she fell forward onto her knees. Commanding her body to lay down on her belly, he tried to angle her solar-cells to catch the full radiation of the sun. Yes, Earth's sun! He had brought her home!

Reluctantly, he began to release her body from his control, preparing his spark to leave her, for his job was done.

"Don't leave." He heard through her audios, as she whispered to him.

'But I'm done here,' he said within her head. He didn't really want to leave, but was there here for a ghost? To fly around pointlessly and haunt the living… The functioning.. What type of existence was that?!

"Do you want life?" she asked him, her voice soft.

His spark pulsed in indecision. To live again was so very tempting, but he'd have to face the very Decepticons and daughters that he'd let down so many times. He didn't know if he could face their rejection again. Her wings trembled as the ghost within her trembled in indecision. He didn't want to fail again.. For the first time in his worthless existence he had been successful.. He had brought Optimus's daughter back to him.. They would now remember him as a success.. But if he lived again – would he just fail again?

"I will fly by your side Starscream. I'm your friend, I will never leave you." Jaguar's voice promised him, as her warm living spark surrounded him with warmth. Her emotion of welcoming, of acceptance of him for all he was – flowed through her systems. Filling the ghost with it's strength.. Conviction.. She WANTED him to choose life!

The ghost trembled within her. For her to offer to not only give his spark the strength to be reborn, but to also give her oath to stand next to him in this new life – was more than he'd ever dreamed any one would care to offer him. For he had been nothing but a total failure; until now, until he'd brought her back into her own reality, given her life back to her. 'You'd carry my spark, give me life.. And.. Be my friend?' his ghostly voice stammered within her.

As her emotions flowed over him, he knew this was truly her offer. Sinking within the beautiful warmth of her charging starboard power core, the ghost accepted her offer. Her life force flowed over him, caressing him, strengthening him – as if he were one of her unborn sparklings.

**A Mother's Love**

The sound of the muffled engines of a stealth fighter blended into the soothing sounds of the ocean waves. Too energy-depleted to even lift her head, the green Seeker laid there, hoping it was her mother she heard. The sound rumbled closer, and then she heard the jet transform, its thrusters scraping lightly on the rocks of the barren shore.

A light touch on her wing, as the Seeker went down on a knee next to her recharging form. "Jaguar?" her Matron's musical voice asked softly.

"Mom?" Jaguar murmured in happiness.

Her mother's arms surrounded her, lifted her and gently laid her depleted air frame across those gleaming black legs, angling her solar-cells even better to catch the solar radiation. She felt Raptor's gentle caresses as the Seeker checked her fuselage for damage. "It's been so many orbit cycles my love, I was afraid I'd never see you again. When I got a lock on you today, I couldn't believe it, I couldn't.." Raptor's musical voice broke in a sob of emotion; both the grief of all those cycles spent missing her daughter, and the elation of that missing daughter coming home. She rubbed her daughter's helm with a loving tenderness, her airframe shaking slightly with her emotional sobs.

Jaguar sank into her mother's loving warmth, as her spark sang in joy; she felt the uncertainty within the strengthening spark residing in her starboard core. "Mom, he led me here, he saved me," she whispered weakly.

"Who led you here?" Raptor's voice asked in curiosity.

She knew her mother would understand. She'd loved the red Seeker once. Bonded with him, raised his sparklings. So Jaguar didn't energon-coat it, she didn't think she needed to. "Starscream," she replied softly. Jaguar weakly rubbed her fingers on one of her mother's thrusters. "Starscream brought me here, he said he would, and he did."

Raptor was silent for a minute, her thoughts in turmoil. "So you ended up in the afterworld?" she asked softly.

Jaguar weakly nodded.

Her Matron sighed, remembering that confused red Seeker fondly. "We always told your half-sisters that he was good inside. We never lied to you all about him. He was good inside, just confused," she said softly. Her voice trembling in her elation at what the deceased Seeker had given her back. "I hope he knows that I thank him for everything. For teaching me in this dimension, for giving me three daughters..." she squeezed her fingers on one of Jaguar's wings. "And for giving me back a daughter I thought lost!"

Jaguar felt the pulse of Starscream's spark within her starboard core, as he heard Raptor's comments through her audios. Smiling, she knew that this was what the ghost always wanted; just simple respect and understanding. "Mom, he knows. He hears you because he's inside me," she murmured.

She felt Raptor stiffen in shock, and though she couldn't see the Seeker's face, she could imagine the look of shock that was on it. "He's..He's INSIDE you?" her mother's incredulous voice asked.

Weakly, the green Seeker nodded. "He took me over, flew me through the plasma maze here," she sighed, "When we got here I asked him if he wanted to be reborn. He accepted. Now he's growing in strength in my starboard core. I owed him that."

The crashing of waves was the only sound as Raptor digested the news. Her loving strokes across her daughter's fuselage resumed as she came to a decision. "I will help you build his air frame. We will make him like he was, if that's what he wants," she stated. Her tone telling both daughter and ghost that she meant every word… She would accept Jaguar's decision without question.. Would help the ghost re-enter the world of the living.

The elation that flowed from her starboard core told her that Starscream was more than happy with that idea. Smiling against her mother's leg, Jaguar's emotions matched that of her ghostly friend's. "Can we build him more of a stealth Earth Seeker type model? I promised him he could fly at my wing;" she asked her mother. The ghost within her increased his emotional glee, now knowing that he would be fully accepted by the transformers, if he was Jaguar's wing mate. She was Prime's daughter, and Prime was now the sole leader of the Transformers.

Raptor chuckled, happy that Starscream would have such a good guide as her green Seeker daughter. Although it would be awkward at first to see the two as a team, she knew with herself having been living by Optimus's side – Starscream would need a close friend to help him adapt to this new reality. And with Jaguar not having a bond mate and already seemingly accepting this ghost fully, perhaps the two of them would eventually become more the friends.

"Yes,Jaguar, that's a wonderful idea.."she murmured happily.

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	6. Rebirth

A Daughter's Return

**A Daughter's Return**

It took several day cycles for Jaguar's depleted cores to charge. Her mother stayed protectively by her side. Soon, her sisters from the First Brood joined them, as Raptor radioed them their coordinates.

It seemed like old times, as Jaguar watched her sisters gleefully playing, forgetting their maturity in the emotions of her return. Stretching with feline grace, the deep green Seeker snuggled tighter against the deep blue fuselage of her twin. Tigress smiled and tightened her arms around her twin, her love flowing through her air frame.

Raptor debated on how to tell her daughters and the others about the spark gaining strength within her daughter. She needed to be very tactful, for she wanted the wayward ghost to feel welcomed into the family. Nodding to Tigress and IceOwl to stay with Jaguar, she invited her other thee daughters to fly with her.

'Do you realize who brought Jaguar back?'her voice on their encrypted frequency, asked the three Seekers as they danced in the winds.

She could feel their shrugs. "Figured she just found her own slaggin' way home." Jacket's joking response filled her head.

Raptor banked, catching a wonderful updraft. Her daughters all following suit. 'She was trapped in the afterworld, there was no way for her to find her own way back;' She informed them.

Her daughters considered that fact. 'So what's the catch? How'd she get back then?' Falcon asked, breaking the thoughtful silence.

'She happened to run across a certain red Seeker, who thought he owed her family something.' Raptor stated softly.

A shocked silence followed, as the three sisters quickly realized which dead red Seeker it had to be. 'Ya mean our sire's the one who led her here?' Jacket's incredulous tone captured all of the sisters' emotions so perfectly.

'Yes, so how do you three feel about that?' the black/gold Seeker asked, needing to gauge their emotions concerning Starscream.

Wasp and Jacket rolled underneath her, smoothly exchanging positions in their V-formation. 'Well, I guess he felt bad since he didn't help us that time,' Wasp mumbled.

Jacket snorted. 'Maybe he would've helped us, had he known we were his get. But he never touched us, gotta give 'im that;' she observed.

'Do you two forgive him?' Raptor asked.

**Acceptance**

The four Seekers set down on the rocky beach, three of them looking at Jaguar with strange expressions as they sat down across from their half-sister. Raptor smiled warmly, her smile telling Jaguar it'd be Ok now.

Jacket cocked her head, her crimson optics staring hard at Jaguar. 'So ya done got ya self knocked up without even bondin' huh?' she joked. Her sarcastic humor did much to relieve some of the tension that hung heavily in the salt-filled air.

Jaguar nodded hesitantly, she could sense Starscream's apprehension building as his daughters studied her.

Wasp studied the green Seeker intently, her thoughts running swiftly. When their mother had explained that not only had Starscream helped their half-sister, but their half-sister had then made the offer to him to give him a second chance at life – she had felt an overwhelming confusion.

She had never really known this true sire of hers, the only time she'd been around him was when he had quietly stood by while the Decepticons had tortured her and her twin. But Jacket was right, Starscream hadn't known they were his daughters – surely if he'd had, he would've intervened. But she couldn't really think of him as a father figure, Optimus had taken that role. But she knew that her mom wanted her to somehow accept the pending rebirth of this sire of hers, so she'd try.

"Well, I hope he realizes that I won't call him 'sir'," she said quietly; her optics softly saying that that's all the acceptance she could manage right now.

Having no experience with Starscream in his previous life, thus no real opinion of him, Falcon slid over and put one of her silver arms across her half-sister's shoulders. "I'm a little pissed at you though. You've already got a wing mate – yet you go and take him for one too! Here I am, stuck with these two sloggers!" She joked.

With that comment, Jacket pounced on the silver Seeker, ending up in a lighthearted wrestling match.

Jaguar felt a spreading sense of relaxation flow from her starboard core, Starscream now realized that he could find some acceptance and work towards forgiveness from his daughters.

Raptor and IceOwl smiled with understanding looks in their optics, as a smile spread over the green Seeker's face - A smile that wasn't truly just hers.

**The New Seeker**

Jaguar stared at the empty optics of the red Seeker air frame that she and Raptor had built. She knew that tomorrow, Starscream's spark would have enough strength to be reborn, and she was both thrilled and depressed at the same time. She had gotten used to the sensation of the ghost within her, and though she knew that this was coming, it saddened her that he would be leaving.

'It's ok; I'll still be with you.' His voice said in her head, for he read her thoughts as easily as his own.

She reached out, stroking the side of the still Seeker's face with her fingers. Yes, this would be his face.

'My face;' He murmured within her, feeling the cool metal skin under her fingers. 'My body;' His voice filled with wonder as he used her hand to trace the wings that would soon be alive with the spark that was him.

Jaguar smiled, the ghost within her was so happy. He didn't see the loneliness that his leaving would cause her. She had watched her sisters find bond mates, but she hadn't found a mech that she truly liked that much, so the closest thing she'd ever had to a bond mate was having this ghost live within her for these last few months. She had grown to know his every thought, his every emotion, just as he'd learned hers. Strangely, he had made her feel – whole.

Going back to her quarters, Jaguar lay down and went into defragmentation, knowing she'd need her energy for Starscream's 'rebirth' the next day.

As her meta-processor went offline, the ghost within her stirred. He let his strong spark course through her systems, enjoying the warmth of life. His excitement was overwhelming at the coming day, and his second chance at life. But yet he knew Jaguar's internal thoughts, the fact that she'd started depending on his presence within her, to feel whole. The amount of her attachment to him; overwhelmed him, for he'd never had anyone care that deeply for him. He was determined to help her, once he got his own body.

She'd given him so much; a second chance of life and the forgiveness of his daughters. He owed her. He owed her one thing, as he was determined to learn how to give that to her. Perhaps he'd ask Alexis to give him some pointers in this? For that human woman had talked with him through Jaguar. Had shown him that she was still his friend… Yes, Alexis would tell him what he needed to do. To become Jaguar's best friend!

The ghost felt happiness soar through him. For once, he'd been happy to have just that one human girl for a friend. Now, he'd not only have Alexis, but Jaguar as well! He'd have two friends. He'd have respect. He'd have everything he'd always wanted. And it'd happen tomorrow.

**Rebirth**

The First Brood gathered, along with many Autobots and Decepticons. Jaguar looked around at them, Starscream able to see them through her optics. Those gathered here, were here to welcome the former Decepticon second-in-command back into their ranks, to see him reborn.

Feeling his spark swell within her, Jaguar connected the bonding and power cables between herself and the unanimated Seeker. Her energy flowing into its chassis, as Starscream's spark split from her and flowed into the new chassis. The dull optics began to activate, filling with a shimmering crimson light as they looked into Jaguar's.

As his spark acclimated itself to the new systems, Starscream raised his arms and hugged his green friend tightly to his new airframe. He felt her power flow into him rise, flooding his primary core with beautiful energy. For several minutes they stood like this, but unlike the true births of new sparklings, Starscream wasn't copying her files, he didn't need to learn like a new sparkling.

Finally, he felt her energy flow falter, as his cores were now fully charged, his systems now fully activated. Her deft fingers disconnected the link between them, for he was now complete. He caught her as she staggered back from him, picking up her exhausted frame in his arms. His smile widened as he met her exhausted optics. "I'll take care of you, my friend;" he told her, as he cradled her against his body. He nodded to the gathered mechs, and carried her outside to recharge her depleted systems in the sun.

Optimus and Raptor exchanged surprised looks as the reborn red Seeker calmly walked away from the welcoming crowd, his attentions focused entirely on the exhausted green Seeker laying limply in his red arms. A smile spread over Raptor's face as she understood. "I think Starscream's got a friend."

The quiet Autobot Leader nodded his agreement. The confused red Seeker would find no better friend than his deep green daughter. The big red mech put his arm around his femme friend; and the two parents of that deep green Seeker walked away together, leaving the reborn Seeker alone with her.

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